Isn’t just France, but Raymond “I am not an idiot” Domenech drawing in his last, horrid breath as French coach. Just a few comments:
Soccer
Peyton Place-sur-Seine
French coach Raymond Domenech may have decided to put the team’s best interests ahead of his many, many personal grudges for once, but that still doesn’t mean sanity has returned to France’s footballing soap opera. Though virtually all press reports in France Thursday say Domenech is set to make what has long been an obvious right …
Cheering For North Korea: Weird, But Fun
Okay, let’s get one thing clear: no one likes horrible totalitarian dictatorial regimes that brutalize their populations, starve their people through incompetent and willfully destructive leadership, and spent most of their time threatening war on the outside world while trying to develop nuclear arms to use should those conflicts …
Taking On Vuvuzela Inc.
One thing seems certain as the great global debate continues to rage over whether the South African vuvuzela should be banned from World Cup stadiums or not: someone is going to find a way to make a truckload of money out of the rumpus. And a couple of companies are already seeking to do just that by moving fast on what’s become the …
Cue The Benny Hill Theme
An own goal that even cracked the guilty Danish defender up, and a pounced-on shot off the post that by all rights should have been cleared to the other end. That was the extent of offensive brilliance in the Netherlands’ 2-0 win over Denmark–a match in which a 0-0 (read “nothing nothing”) would have been a truer reflection of the …
Vuvuzela: Call It This Cup’s Atmospherics
World Cup Concert: The Real Rebels of Rock ‘n’ Roll
If you’re one of the hundreds of millions expected to tune in for the concert kicking off the World Cup in Soweto tonight, keep an eye out for Tinariwen, due on stage at Orlando Stadium at 9.30pm local time (3.30pm EST). In the 60 odd years it’s been around, rock ‘n’ roll has progressed from the sound of rebellion to the sound of a …
Let The Cussing Begin!
We all saw reports Wednesday that the trio of Brazilian referees officiating the England-USA match Saturday are memorizing a list of 20 swear words in order to sanction any foul mouthing like the kind Wayne Rooney dished out during his team’s final practice match Monday. Today, FIFA stepped up to point out it wasn’t responsible for the …
France’s World Cup: “Can We Go Home Now?”
Don’t tell the French this World Cup isn’t all over for them before it even starts. Suggesting otherwise is largely brushed off on Planet France–the largest consuming nation of tranquilizers and anti-depressants anywhere. Right now, optimism is mostly seen as merely forestalling the soccer agony that fate has in store for l’equipe de …
Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth!
Strap yourself in, make sure your diary is clear until July 11 and get set for a fantastic fiesta of football. The 19th World Cup, being held in Africa for the first time, is almost upon us.
World Cup: Security Problems Already?
Four days before the World Cup kicks off, the unedifying spectacle of football officials and policemen blaming each other for a dangerous stampede outside a friendly Nigeria-North Korea match at Ekurhuleni, near Johannesburg, is a little worrying for any fan arriving in South Africa. Reports from the scene say between 15-20 spectators …
Surprise! New World Cup Ball Provokes Controversy!
Ahead of every World Cup, there are always certain guarantees: England fans fear the team will eventually be eliminated via penalty kicks. The world will underestimate the German squad. And there will be a hullabaloo over the official match ball.
Top 10 World Cup Games
As the anticipation builds to South Africa 2010, TIME turns back the clock to reflect on some of the tournament’s classic showdowns